ᐅ Underfloor heating: Is laminate or tile flooring warmer underfoot?

halmi schrieb:
nordlys, the hydraulic balancing existed already in the last century 😉

But usually, it is not actually implemented anywhere: all the radiators I know are left at maximum flow and that's it.

If you live in the top apartment (like we currently do), you can't just go downstairs and ask the people there to reduce their radiator settings. This results in very little flow at our place on the top floor in the morning, when everyone in the building is trying to heat up their rooms that cooled down overnight...

Mottenhausen schrieb:
Usually, the setting is not changed anywhere: All the radiators I know are left at maximum flow and that's it.

But if you live in the top apartment (like we do at the moment), it's hard to just ring the bell of the people on the ground floor and ask them to reduce their radiator settings. This leads to a situation where, in the morning, when everyone in the building tries to heat their rooms that cooled down overnight, there is hardly any flow left for us at the very top...

Could that be the reason? We also live in the attic apartment right now (with older ladies living below us), and although most of our radiators are set to 5, it hardly gets warm and in the mornings it takes at least until 10 a.m. before I consider it "no longer cold."

The problem often lies with the nighttime temperature setback; if everyone in the house simply kept their heating comfortably at level 3, it would stay nice and warm, and you could even save energy and costs.

Hydraulic balancing in a rental apartment is naturally difficult to impossible, but it can be easily done in a detached house.

Yosan schrieb:
Oh, could it be because of that? We also currently live in the attic (older ladies live below us), and even though most of our radiators are set to 5, it hardly gets warm, and in the mornings it takes at least until 10 a.m. to feel "not cold anymore"

In addition, there is the issue that every heating system gives priority to hot water supply, meaning that when everyone in the house showers in the morning, the system first focuses on reheating the hot water tank before turning back to heating the rooms.

Also, as mentioned, the hydraulic balancing is not adjusted, so the main flow goes through the heating circuits with the least resistance, which usually are not those on the upper floor.

A solution for you would be to start heating before everyone else, meaning setting all radiators to level 3 overnight. Then, when the system switches from night to day mode in the early morning hours, enough flow will reach your radiators. As said: before everyone else turns their heating up and the big morning shower rush starts.

@Hexe 1717: Throughout the entire house, we have fully glued vinyl flooring, see example image. It was not cold underfoot when we moved in in August, rather neutral, and is now very comfortable in winter. It looks like wood and somehow feels like it too. So far, we have only used a maximum of 27°C (81°F) supply temperature in the underfloor heating, with an outside temperature of -6°C (21°F). The floor is neither too warm nor too cold. It cost €49 per square meter (approximately $49 per square yard) including installation. We would do it exactly the same way again.

Mottenhausen schrieb:
There is also the issue that every heating system prioritizes domestic hot water, meaning that if everyone in the house is showering in the morning, the heating system first focuses on reheating the hot water tank before it starts heating the rooms again.

Then, as mentioned, there is the problem of the hydraulic balancing not being adjusted properly, so the main flow goes through the heating circuits with the least resistance, which are usually not the ones upstairs.

The solution for you would be to start heating before everyone else, meaning running all radiators at setting 3 overnight. When the heating system switches from night to day mode early in the morning, enough flow will reach your rooms. As said: before everyone else turns up their heating and the big shower rush starts.

Well... we have been keeping the heating at 5 even overnight for weeks since it cools down completely anyway... so we should actually be the first ones in the morning. However, I fear that the ladies among us might be doing the same.